Declaring the need to expand educational opportunity, Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he has signed legislation making illegal immigrants eligible to receive state financial aid to attend California universities and community colleges.

Brown said he signed the California Dream Act because it makes sense to allow high-achieving students access to college financial aid.

“Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking,” Brown said in a statement. “The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us.”

New York State is poised to pass a legislative agenda that focuses on granting illegal immigrants access to financial assistance for public universities, a step that California took a few days ago. John King Jr., the state’s education commissioner to the Board of Regents, tells the Times that, “It’s about making sure that students are able to fulfill their aspirations after their graduate from high school.” New York allows undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition, but the move is part of a larger strategy to lobby Congress to pass a version of the Dream Act, which would give students who completed two years of college or military service a path to citizenship.

President Obama’s senior staff is reaching out to Republicans before the next congressional session begins in January, in an effort to secure support for the DREAM Act.

The proposed DREAM Act prescribes a mix of civil fines, educational requirements, and military duty as a way to transition into official US citizenship those under the age of 35 designated under “illegal” immigration status.

This allows the “enforcement” types their due, and balances with the very real need politicians have, to “do something positive” about the 2 million or so illegal immigrants that this bill is aimed at.

It’s also a way for the left and right wing to make sure they don’t offend the powerful Hispanic and Latino voting blocs that can make or break them in places like Florida, California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and even New York.

Does anyone reeeeeally think the Democrats are going to try another “risky” move in the name of Immigration Reform and fuel the “Tea Party” conservatives to a landslide victory in the 2012 Presidential Election?

And, whoever said the DREAM Act was immigration reform anyways? Does it touch on the issues of Temporary Workers, Permanent Residence (a.k.a. Green Card), Family-based immigration? Nope. How handy.

Democratic strategists also see the bill as a potential litmus test for Republican lawmakers on immigration reform well in advance of the 2012 election. In the recent midterm election, exit polls showed that Latino voters turned out in increased numbers for Democratic Sen. Harry Reid in Nevada after Republican opponent Sharron Angle riled the Latino community with political ads that showed images of menacing, tattooed Latinos.

Not much focus is left for Immigration Reform. See how many distractions there are? LOL.

So OK, even with Sarah Palin coasting on new found political windfalls of her peers winning big, her daughter dancing it up, Harry Reid is no clown. This is the issue on his plate and he’s got to hit a home run.

Nonetheless, -Reid is down with quite a few Republicans -much more than anyone publicly knows or understands. Former Real Estate Commissioner of Nevada hangs with him all the time. And she’s ultra-right wing as they get. Part of the whole “Republicans For Harry Reid” movement that probably had more to do with him beating Sharron Angle than Sharron Angle’s mistakes.

Remember, Nevada is a “Swing State” now. Think any intelligent Nevadan politico is going to give up the Senate Majority Leader position? It’s far too important for the State to let Conservative Republican ideals get in the way.

This is one of the few areas where the Tea Party kids might eventually get wise, mostly by staying quiet and letting the traditional Republicans work their magic with Harry, THEN step in later with the sledgehammer. We’ll see how it goes after Thanksgiving.

Suffice to say, real immigration reforms covering all aspects of our nation’s current laws regarding the subject, are unlikely, -I don’t give the DREAM Act much of a chance either, but if it does pass, you can look to Harry Reid lasting through the Presidency of Sarah Palin without encountering any real issues, it’ll be a smooth ride. For him.

With the Tea Party on the scene in January for this issue, there’s probably more than one republican politician who’s gonna be thinking “dang it’s getting downright bi-polar up in here“. This song can help, wait for the chorus.

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